A Conversation with an Art Therapist: Strengthening the Mind Through Nature-Inspired Art

If we talk about art therapy, many people still wonder how art therapy differs from simply drawing, coloring, or creating a craft, and who it can help, what it can treat, and how it works.
In this article, Gother invites you to join a conversation with art therapist Khun Sai Pornpailin Tanchareon, a former product designer who chose to develop her artistic expertise to care for and heal people’s minds by fully embarking on the path of becoming an art therapist, and to get to know the Nature-based Art Therapy Studio that she designed.

“As soon as I graduated, I worked so hard that I barely rested and then fell ill. When I became that sick, they immediately found someone to take my place.” Ms. Sai began to tell us when we asked about the start of her art therapy journey.
She continued that it began when she was working as a product designer, pushing herself and neglecting her own well-being until she fell ill. That experience made her question what she was doing at the time and realize she wasn’t happy with it, so she felt it was time to turn back and take care of and value herself.

Shortly thereafter, Ms. Sai decided to seek a new path in life until she came across a humanistic philosophy–based art therapy program she had never heard of before and chose to enroll. She soon realized that her existing art knowledge was only a small fraction, because art therapy does not involve judging beauty but uses art as a tool to explore an individual’s mind to help untangle problems or to better understand and access the various feelings that arise within oneself, leading to the discovery of appropriate solutions. It is often used alongside physical treatment as well. In some countries, such as Germany, art therapists are regarded as professionals responsible for mental care, equivalent to physicians treating physical ailments.

We asked Khun Sai to describe her role as an art therapist. Sai explained that she has had the opportunity to care for many children, each of whom came with their own unique stories and challenges. She therefore designed an art therapy class curriculum tailored to the children’s individual identities, presented through a blend of storytelling, art, and nature.

Khun Sai gave an example about the class, explaining that when designing a curriculum centered on each child, you must look at what kind of support the child needs, such as Emotional Support or Anger Management.
For instance, once Khun Sai designed an activity for the children to walk and explore a flower garden. As the children explored, they wanted to touch everything in sight. It turned out that one child happened to touch a rose and got pricked by a thorn unexpectedly, so he ran to Khun Sai. Khun Sai tended the wound, asked how it was and how he felt, and taught that touching or doing things without permission can lead to incidents that make you feel angry or get hurt. Because when we touch a flower, the flower did not give us permission to be touched. A flower is like our friend. Just as if we touch our friend or our friend’s toy without their permission, it means we shouldn’t do it. We must ask first, so the children learn to be aware of their emotions and feelings and manage them appropriately.

We asked Khun Sai in more depth why she incorporates nature into the art therapy class, since art therapy could actually be done in a classroom. Khun Sai explained that, from her own experience, she has found that many city children are accustomed to environments surrounded by tall buildings, which is evident from the fact that they often draw pictures of buildings or condos, are afraid of grass and trees, do not dare to step on the ground, and frequently feel scared or anxious. They also tend to speak slowly and in fragmented phrases, have difficulty communicating effectively, and exhibit poor balance.

But compared to when Khun Sai traveled to seek new inspiration in rural communities, encountering lush greenery and breathing deeply, it made her feel good and peaceful, and she had the opportunity to spend time with the local children.
She invited the children to make paints from natural materials such as flowers, leaves, stones, and soil, and use them to create paintings. It turned out that the children had fun, weren’t afraid of getting messy, felt no hesitation at all, and were bold enough to pick up various items from nature to inspire their artwork.

And this is how Ms. Sai got the idea and saw the importance of bringing nature into art therapy classes for children.
Imagine how magical it would be if children could go out to experience and connect with nature, participate in activities, spend quality time with their families, and be inspired to carry forward happiness to every family...
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